Japan to Review COVID-19 Classification

Tokyo, July 30 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government is planning to review its current classification of COVID-19 once the ongoing seventh wave of infection calms down, people familiar with the matter said Saturday.

The move is in response to a decrease in the rate of COVID-19 patients developing severe symptoms.

COVID-19 is currently classified into Category II, the second-highest on the five-stage scale of seriousness of infectious diseases.

Once the classification is lowered, less stringent response will become possible over the disease. The government is considering ceasing to count all COVID-19 cases.

The COVID-19 classification needs to be reviewed, a government source said, adding, “We’ll discuss it once the seventh wave ebbs.”

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]